


The Best Friend, The Ex and The Boss

by WildChaser



Series: Angus MacGyver and the one thing he did not know about himself [5]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Bisexual Angus MacGyver, Bisexual Mac, Bisexuality, But it somehow is not important at all, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Developing Relationship, Die Hard as an important factor in getting along with Jack, F/M, Fluff, Friendly banter, Gen, Heartfelt Conversations, Hurt/Comfort, Jack warming up to Lucas, M/M, Mac and Riley are bros, Mac and his sexuality crisis - the final act, Mac gets roofied, Matty being a friend, Matty meddles in Mac's life, Nikki returns, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Off screen sexual activity, Worried Jack, Worried Lucas, it sounds way more kinky than it actually is in the fic, mentions of bondage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 06:05:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14731361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildChaser/pseuds/WildChaser
Summary: Jack notices that Mac regularly seeks comfort in Luke's arms and that makes him wonder. But Jack is not the only one that worries about Mac and Luke's relationship - at some point Matty decides she needs a serious conversation with her blonde agent as well.In the meantime, Riley is the target of a roofie, but Mac gets to suffer the effects instead.And then, on top of it, Christmas comes and Nikki shows up at the annual Phoenix Foundation Christmas Party. And doesn't it just sound splendid?





	The Best Friend, The Ex and The Boss

**Author's Note:**

> It's official, it is the last one. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the ride with Lucas Burkhardt and the MacGyver crew! [Because I did - I feel like I gave my boy the happiness he deserves ;)]

**Los Angeles**

**Luke’s apartment**

**10 PM**

 

Luke opened the door to see Mac standing at the threshold. Mac had texted him earlier that his mission was done, that he was back and that everything was fine, but Lucas didn’t expect to see him so soon.

 

“I thought you would be sleeping it off.” Despite it being an unexpected visit, Luke stepped back and gestured for Mac to come in.

 

“Am I not interrupting anything?” Mac was polite, as always.

 

“Nope, my plans to take over the world are already done, double-checked and well-hidden. You can come in without inhibitions,” deadpanned Luke.

 

Mac snorted and put a cheap bottle of wine on the table.

 

Luke eyed it suspiciously. “You know this is beyond us?” Personally, Luke had way more refined palate and Mac knew it.

 

“I know, but tonight I need it more for the effect than for taste.” Mac sent him a wry smile.

 

“You mean, you need to get trashed?” Luke guessed, eyeing Mac curiously. Mac nodded solemnly.

 

“Something wrong with the mission?” Luke asked warily.

 

Mac shrugged. “No more than usual. Jack got shot, but it’s just a scratch, really. He already got sent home, he’ll be whining about boredom in two days at most. And I’m physically fine.”

 

“And psychically?”

 

Mac huffed and threw himself on Luke’s couch. “Well, psychically, I need to get trashed,” he admitted.

 

Luke sat beside him and put his hand on Mac’s neck, tangling his fingers into Mac’s hair. Mac immediately leaned into the calming touch.

 

“What happened?” Luke put his other hand on Mac’s thigh, squeezing it gently and getting a hum of approval from Mac in return.

 

“It’s just—it was a really close call today. I defused the bomb and it was fine in the end, but there was a moment when I really thought—“ Mac let out a deep breath and fell silent. Luke felt Mac’s whole body shaking slightly.

 

“You’re still high on adrenaline,” he observed.

 

“Mhm.” Mac didn’t even pretend to hide it.

 

“You think drinking is gonna help you with that?” Luke raised his eyebrow doubtfully.

 

Mac hummed. Luke’s fingers continuously massaged the back of his head, which slowly began easing the tension out of him. “Not really, but that’s only plan B,” admitted Mac after a while. He hadn’t even noticed the exact moment when his eyes had fallen close.

 

“What’s plan A, then?” Prompted him Luke while letting his fingers a bit lower down Mac’s spine, still running them in round movements.

 

Mac hummed, letting himself relax under Luke’s fingers. “Well, if I tell you that you are an indispensable part of this plan, would you figure it out yourself?” Murmured Mac, opening his eyes lazily and turning his head to kiss Luke slowly on the lips. It was a gentle kiss, sweet and undemanding one.

 

Luke’s lips widened in a smug smile. He tightened his fingers on Mac’s thigh once again, stronger this time, and then slid them up Mac’s leg pointedly. Luke already guessed that Mac came to him hoping for something way different than drinking company. Luke was happy to provide, but not without teasing Mac first.

 

“My deductive skills aren’t so great,” replied Luke with feign-innocence. He met Mac’s eyes challengingly. “I’m afraid you will have to spell it out to me, Angus,” he whispered.

 

Mac grunted, impatient, and turned his body towards Lucas, putting his hands on Luke’s sides, grabbing two handfuls of the man’s shirt. He met Luke’s eyes decisively.

 

“Luke, I want you to—I need you to—,“ Mac let out a short breath, his cheeks red, but not from embarrassment. From anticipation, maybe. “Fuck me. Luke, please, I need you inside me, I need you now—“ Mac moved closer to Luke intently, not breaking the eye contact even for a blink.

 

Mac, for all intents and purposes, would never beg for anything in his life. He made an exception for the bedroom, though. There, he was not above pleading, especially since he was fully aware how well it worked on Lucas. If saying pretty please spiced things up, Mac was all in.

 

“You had me at ‘Luke’.” Luke grabbed Mac’s ass and prompted Mac to sit on his lap.

 

“I know.” Mac smiled cheekily and moved his leg over Luke to straddle his hips. “What can I say; I observe, I learn.”

 

“What can I say, I like being asked.” Luke moved his hands all over Mac’s back, massaging him from his shoulders all the way to his buttocks, enjoying the way Mac moved his hips forwards uncontrollably.

 

“So, will you?” Mac murmured.

 

“You wish is my command,” replied Luke smoothly, grabbing two handfuls of Mac’s ass and squeezing it, making it not so gentle. “You really need to let go today, huh?”

 

“Mhm, it’s buzzing in me.”

 

“Sounds serious. You’re dangerous even when low on adrenaline,” noted Luke dryly.

 

“Yeah, as you can see, it’s pretty urgent,” deadpanned Mac.

 

“It’s basically a threat to national security then.” Luke nodded, deadly serious.

 

Mac couldn’t hold the laughter any longer, he threw his head back and snorted in amusement.

 

“Ha, I got you there.” Luke grinned proudly. Also, he used the situation to steal a few kisses to Mac’s bare neck.

 

“Yeah, and you already have me here, so—?” Mac moved his hips challengingly, his smile cocky. “Whatever incentive you need to get it up, honey,” teased Mac.

 

Then he jumped when a light, but unexpected pain spread on his buttocks. “Woah.”

 

“Keep talking like that, _honey_ , and you’ll get more of that,” threatened Luke smugly.

 

Mac was never into spanking, but then again, he was never actively against it either.

 

“Let’s quit talking altogether, shall we?” Mac leaned and caught Luke’s lips in his own, dominating the kiss smoothly. Luke let him, allowing himself to drown in the sensation for a while, but then he broke it gently.

 

“Angus, can I tie you up?”

 

Mac’s breath visibly hitched. He looked uncertain for a second. “You would like that?” Mac asked, his voice small, but not exactly reluctant.

 

“Yeah,” admitted Luke easily. “Also, I think it would be good for you.”

 

Mac raised his eyebrow. “Good, how?”

 

“Everything in your life depends on the choices you make. Hard choices.” Luke’s voice was steady, but soft. It was obvious he had thought it through. Mac listened carefully. “You make the wrong one, things go kaboom. And nobody else can make those choices for you.” Luke swallowed, pausing for a brief moment. “So, you need to take a break from it for a while. You need to let. It. Go.” He emphasized.

 

Then, as if nothing happened, Lucas leaned and licked Mac’s neck, going down towards the collarbone, which he uncovered from under the shirt with one swift movement of his tongue. His proceedings were slow, careful, more relaxing than insistent; he gave Mac time to process.

 

“Sounds kinky,” noted Mac.

 

Luke grinned. “It is kinky. Slightly.”

 

Mac murmured in approval. “Okay,” he decided after a moment’s thought. “Okay, let’s do it.”

 

Luke pulled away from his neck and looked at Mac’s face, observing. “You sure you want it?”

 

“I’m sure I wanna try it. We’ll see how it goes.”

 

Luke gripped Mac’s jaw and kissed his lips shortly. “’kay, let’s move to the bedroom, then.”

 

 

Mac was happy to oblige.

 

 

 

If Mac was a different person, he would really have trouble looking Luke’s neighbors in the eye the next day. Fortunately, he was himself, so he wasn’t going to be embarrassed by a well-spent night. And if his throat was a bit sore from all the vocally expressed pleasure, well, it was the price worth paying.

 

 

 

 

**Berlin, Germany**

**A very loud, very flashy and very shady club**

 

 

“Do you see him?” Mac asked through the comms, sitting on a bar stool and slowly sipping his beer. German beers tasted great, but he was there on a job and the drink were just a means not to stand out. He would buy himself (and Jack) a multi-pack when the mission was done, he decided.

 

“No. Are we sure he would be here?” Asked Jack, almost shouting because of the loud beating noise.

 

“Yes, he should come soon,” assured them Riley. She took a sip of a drink she had just received and hissed in disgust. “Geez, this tastes like shit.”

 

“What do you have?” Mac asked.

 

“I don’t know, I just pointed at the menu. But I should’ve checked for the pineapple juice, I hate it,” muttered Riley, annoyed at herself.

 

“Do you wanna switch for my beer? It’s awesome. And I like pineapple juice.” Mac felt magnanimous since he already decided to buy the beer later.

 

“Yeah, you’re a life saver, Mac.”

 

“Bootlicker,” laughed Jack. “Riley, you know he’s just collecting favors from you; one day he’ll start asking for them.”

 

“Lies, all of them!” Denied Mac fiercely, but with a fond smile. “I’m just that nice.”

 

“No man is so nice to drink those colorful monstrosities with tiny umbrellas without a promise of gratification,” proclaimed Jack. “They are so… girlish.”

 

“Excuse me!” Riley huffed, playfully outraged.

 

“Yeah, Jack, hashtag sexist,” jabbed Mac. “Also, I feel comfortable enough with my masculinity that I don’t feel threatened by _tiny umbrellas_ ,” he added pointedly, shit-eating grin on his face in full.

 

“Ha! Burn!” Cheered Riley, feeling vindictive towards Jack. “Ouch; hey, watch your step!” She hissed to the comms suddenly.

 

“What’s wrong?” Asked Mac and Jack in a perfect synch.

 

“Nothing, just a dude bumped into me. Idiot.” Dismissed it Riley and returned to the main point of their conversation smoothly. “Mac : Jack, 1 : 0,” she summed up.

 

“I hate it when you team up against me,” lamented Jack.

 

“You asked for it!” Replied Riley just as she stepped into Mac’s view and sat next to him.

 

“Let’s pretend to flirt, remember, we don’t know each other here,” reminded her Mac and smiled widely towards her, as if just starting a conversation.

They leaned towards each other and continued talking for a while, having a bit of fun pretending to flirt with each other. Riley started playing with her hair, making it seem unconscious, while Mac touched her arm lightly, as if testing waters. They talked for a couple minutes, shaking their heads in playful laughter, mostly exchanging jabs about Jack while the oldest agent was forced to listen. Then Mac made a movement offering Riley his beer, Riley gave him her drink and after a minute or so Riley excused herself and disappeared in the crowd again, with Mac’s beer this time.

 

“Smooth,” laughed Jack. “Mac, liking the results of your deal?”

 

Mac took a sip. “In fact, I do. It’s sweet, it’s girlish, and the color goes with my shirt…,” listed Mac, grinning cheekily, even though Jack couldn’t see it.

 

“Nice try, buddy,” countered Jack immediately. “I know you know nothing about colors and fashion and no amount of—,“ Jack coughed pointedly, “—Luke will change it.”

 

“Hey! If you must know, I was complimented on how I was dressed on that party last Friday!”

 

“True, but bullshit all the same,” cut in Riley. “You think we don’t know Luke picked the clothes for you?”

 

“He didn’t! He… helped,” admitted Mac weakly.

 

“Yeah, helped from A to Z,” commented Riley cheekily. “I bet he even helped you with the tie.”

 

“What are you insinuating here? I am perfectly capable of tying the tie by myself,” he stated fiercely.

 

“Nobody says you aren’t, Mac,” assured him Riley, then added smugly: “But isn’t it just _nice_ when he does it for you?”

 

“Hey, too much info!” Protested Jack on the line.

 

“I don’t know what you think you’ve heard, but we’re talking about ties, Jack,’’ retorted Riley.

 

“I know!” Exclaimed Jack. “But you were heading _there_!”

 

“You must have a dirty mind, old man,” observed Riley dryly.

 

“Agh, let’s not go there, Ri!” Protested Mac. “Don’t prompt him to share, there are some things you cannot un-hear later!” Warned her Mac and she could hear he was speaking from experience.

 

“Okay, guys, fun time is up, I see our targets,” proclaimed Riley, her tone completely different compared to a minute before. It sounded as if she switched on the ‘professional’ button. Jack beamed, feeling proud of his protégé.  

 

“Where are they heading?” Asked Jack, immediately on high alert.

 

“Your way, Mac. You’re about to see them,” Riley said.

 

“Okay, I’m on it,” replied Mac and stood up swiftly. “Woah,” his voice resounded in Riley and Jack’s comms sounding… off.

 

“Mac? What’s wrong?” Jack quickened up his pace.

 

“Nothing, I’m good. I just didn’t think this drink was so strong,” admitted Mac, frowning. He felt a bit weird, but he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong exactly.

 

“It wasn’t,” said Riley, furrowing her eyebrows in concern.

 

“I’m fine guys,” assured them Mac, “it’s just stuffy in here, I could use some fresh air.”

 

“Then you’ll just have a chance,” noticed Riley as she followed their targets. She passed Mac, who waited for a couple seconds and followed them as well. They were heading towards the back door, even though they just came in.

 

“Wait, that’s weird, they were supposed to make a deal in here,” commented Jack.

 

“Let’s just follow them and observe for now. It’s too loud in here to talk, maybe they’re looking for some quieter place,” suggested Mac.

 

“It’s not like we have any other choice,” noted Riley.

 

Their targets disappeared behind the door.

 

“Me and Riley are going after them, Jack, try to find way there,” decided Mac.

 

“’Kay, I already have an idea,” replied Jack. “Stay safe.”

 

“Sure thing.”

 

Riley disappeared through the door. Mac was meant to follow her in a minute.

 

Mac took a deep breath and blinked several times. The blinking lights seemed flashy at first, but now they were dazzling. He narrowed his eyes to stop the impending headache. Something was wrong with him, Mac realized as he felt his chest tighten uncomfortably. He leaned against a cold wall and focused on taking a slow, deep breath.

 

“Mac? Mac!” Mac opened his eyes as he heard Jack’s panicked voice. “What are you doing, go to her!”

 

“Wha-?” For a moment, Mac had no idea what was happening around him. Thankfully, it lasted only a few seconds. His voice sounded odd to his own ears. “Is she okay?”

 

In surprise, he noticed he was still leaning against the wall, even though he was sure he should be doing something else. He blinked, trying to gather his thoughts. His eyelids were working slower than usually.

 

“They were waiting for her, they noticed she was following!” Screamed Jack through the comms. It was so loud, it hurt Mac’s ears. Mac briefly considered taking the comms out. He knew it would be a bad idea; though he couldn’t really recall why.

 

“Mhm,” slurred Mac. Suddenly, he noticed the door in front of him. The wave of heat flooded his body abruptly. He needed to get out, he realized. Fresh air, cold, no lights, he had to get there. Mac pushed himself away from the wall, his goal clear in his head. For a moment he saw only the door handle in front of him, everything else blurry and inconsequential.

 

The voice in his head never stopped shouting though, Mac’s head felt like it was going to blow up. “What the fuck are you doing, Mac! They don’t believe her! She told them she got there to get some fresh air, but they don’t buy it! Mac, goddammit!”

 

The door handle swayed in front of his eyes. Mac saw a hand reaching for it. Then he realized it was his own. He leaned against the door, feeling the world spin around him. He gripped the handle tighter, trying to find the balance again. The ground trembled under his legs, black spots danced in his vision. Suddenly something clicked and Mac felt himself lose the precious balance, falling forward.

 

Shakily he made a few steps forward, somehow managing to stay up. Fresh air hit his lungs. Mac clung to it like to a lifeline; he focused all of his attention to taking slow and deep breaths.

 

He heard some raised voices, talking to him animatedly, but he couldn’t be bothered to concentrate on them. His fingers felt clumsy, wobbly, but he finally succeeded in opening the first button of his shirt. His vision got better after air entered his system; Mac saw four people, two well-built men and two smartly dressed women. He knew one of them, the one with darker skin and black wavy hair; yet the name slipped his mind. Black spots appeared again, bigger this time. It felt like they were making his eyelids heavier, Mac couldn’t hold them up any longer.

 

Mac’s palm suddenly went cold, and he discovered that he was leaning against a brick wall, having no idea how it came to happen. But the feeling was nice, his body was burning and the wall emanated cold, so he pressed his head to it, trying to get as much relief as he could. It was short-lasting though. No sooner had he felt the heat receding than the insides of his stomach curled up and demanded attention.

 

Next thing Mac know he was kneeling, bracing himself on his hands, a pool of brownish vomit right under his nose. When the smell got to him, his stomach growled again and clenched in uncontrollable reaction.

 

The voiced in his ear never shut up, but to Mac they were nothing more than a buzz by this point.

 

He never really noticed the moment when the consciousness left him for good.

 

 

 

 

**A few hours later**

 

 

 

Mac blinked and looked around. It was dark outside the windows, but the moonlight lit the room he was in.

 

Hospital.

 

Jack was sleeping in a weird position on a chair near him, and Mac immediately felt sorry for the pain he was going to wake up to.

 

Mac nudged his friend, waking him up. Jack’s sleepiness flied away the moment he saw Mac.

 

“You’re awake! Finally!”

 

“What happened, Jack?” Mac asked right away, because it suddenly hit him that he had no idea how he ended up at a hospital in the first place.

 

“You were roofied, Mac.”

 

Cold dread flood Mac’s body when he meaning of these words came to him.

 

“Wha-? How? But—?” Mac felt lost. He immediately sat on the bed and looked around, confused, not sure what he was supposed to do with this information.

 

“I mean, nobody did anything _to_ you,” amended Jack quickly, seeing the freaked out look on his friends’ face. It made him realize he should have started with that. “But you were accidentally drugged with a roofie on a mission, and you passed out. What was the last thing you remember?” Jack inquired gently.

 

Mac forced himself to take a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

 

“We were flying to Berlin? There was some deal about to go down…” Mac’s brow furrowed in concentration. “We went to some pub?”

 

“Yeah, and Riley didn’t like her drink so you offered to give her yours. And she gave you hers. We suppose she was the original target of that roofie, you know,” explained Jack patiently, looking at Mac with worry.

 

Then Mac eyes got filled with dread again.

 

“Oh God, Riley!” He realized. “She was in trouble, and I never got to her! Jack, where is she?!” Mac’s panic was suddenly full on.

 

“Mac, calm down!” Jack grabbed Mac by the shoulders and leaned to look him right in the eye. “Mac, it’s fine, she’s fine,” assured him Jack honestly. “You actually saved the day once again,” he added, snorting under his breath.

 

Mac believed him, because Jack wouldn’t be so lighthearted otherwise. But the comment still made him suspicious.

 

“What do you mean? I thought I was out cold?”

 

Jack huffed a smile. “Well, it wasn’t pretty, let me tell you. But now that I now you’re okay, it’s even a bit funny…”

 

Mac didn’t like the suspense hanging in the air.

 

“Jack, just tell me,” Mac demanded.

 

Jack shrugged. “Well, they realized Riley were following them, and she tried to tell them she just felt dizzy and needed some fresh air. Of course they didn’t believe her, but then you barged in, completely out of it by then, and then you puked on our target’s shoes…”

 

“You’re kidding!” Mac’s eyes were opened wide, disbelief mixed with embarrassment.

 

“Nope,” sing-songed Jack, huffing in laughter. “And Riley, that girl is bright, let me tell ya, went all ‘see, I told you, there’s something wrong with the air in there’ and I’m not sure they actually bought it right away, but you were still barfing and I think it made a compelling argument in the end.”

 

Mac’s face was tomato-red by then.

 

“Geez, I’m not showing my face at the Phoenix ever again,” Mac muttered, completely mortified.

 

“Hey, hey, don’t do that, Mac,” reacted Jack immediately, turning serious. “It’s not your fault you got drugged, alright? I’ve already had a hard time talking Riley out of her remorse, okay? I don’t need to add you to it.”

 

Mac sent him a confused glance.

 

“Why would she feel bad? She didn’t do anything wrong, she talked herself out of a bad situation, she was brilliant, you said.”

 

Jack sighed. “Yeah, well, but the roofie was meant for her. After we’ve analyzed the situation and we realized they must have slipped it when she was going to you, to switch the drinks. She blames herself for not noticing…”

 

“What? That ridiculous, I mean, no. That’s not her fault, not even remotely,” Mac said honestly, shaking his head. “The place was crowded with people, and she was focused on something else entirely. Besides, slipping a pill in a place so loud and crowded— it would be extremely hard to notice, even while paying attention only to that.”

 

“Yeah, I tried telling her the same thing, but I think it would be better if you talked to her again at some point. Maybe your word would mean more in this situation, I don’t know.” Jack sounded defeated. “She was really shaken by this.”

 

Mac pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

“Yeah, if you think that might help, I’ll talk to her. It’s really not her fault, and nothing happened, I mean, besides me passing out, right?” Mac glanced at Jack, gauging his reaction.

 

Jack cleared his throat awkwardly.

 

“Well, I told you the truth, nobody did anything to you, but… I wouldn’t exactly say that _nothing_ happened…” Admitted Jack slowly. “I mean, the doctors said the dosage was really high, and for a moment you really had us worried, Mac…” Jack looked at his partner, relief visible in his eyes, but darkened with bitter recollections of the recent events. “And I mean, _really-really_ worried…”

 

“Jack, tell me exactly what happened,” asked Mac, voice almost void of emotions, as he wasn’t sure any longer what to expect.

 

Jack took a deep breath. “After you finished vomiting, you passed out. And when we were trying to get you out of there, you started having seizure of some kind, convulsions and all that… God, Mac, we were so scared, you have no idea,” revealed Jack, his heart on his sleeve. “And when the doctors got to you, I could see they were freaked out too, your reaction shouldn’t be so bad and… Christ, buddy, never again,” finished Jack and drowned Mac in a bear hug, which Mac accepted gladly.

 

“Shh, I’m fine now, Jack,” said Mac gently, trying to calm his friend, but acknowledging the source of concern nonetheless. “I mean, I have a killer headache, but apart from that, I’m peachy, truly.”

 

“Yeah, about that.” Jack pulled away from Mac slowly. “The doctors mentioned that it might take a while before it goes away. And you shouldn’t really take too many pills for that, since, you know, recently drugged and all that…,” explained Jack, profusely discomforted by the thought that Mac would have to suffer even more pain.

 

“Woah, great,” muttered Mac dryly. “And when can I get discharged?” Mac hated hospitals and that was a well-known fact.

 

“Soon, actually. They said they would run just a couple test when you wake up and then you’ll be good to go.”

 

Mac rolled his eyes and flinched, as it made the pain in his head hit him stronger. “Wonderful. So, let’s get on with that, shall we?”

 

 

 

 

**A few hours later**

**MacGyver’s home**

 

 

 

 

Jack got up and opened the door to Mac’s house after hearing some insistent knocking.

 

“Where is he?” Luke asked as soon as he saw Jack.

 

“He’s fine, trying to sleep. There.” Jack pointed towards the couch seeing as Luke had already passed him and was on his way towards Mac.

 

Luke found Mac buried in a blanket cocoon, looking utterly miserable, and also fully awake.

 

Luke crouched on the floor next to Mac’s couch.

 

“Angus, hey,” he began gently.

 

“Hey Luke,” murmured Mac, forcing a smile on his face, but ending up with a painful grimace instead.

 

“I heard what happened, but only after I was done with my job; apparently Matty ‘didn’t want me distracted’ or some bullshit like that,” explained Luke, not bothering to hide his anger.

 

“Yeah, and she was right, it’s nothing serious,” assured him Mac.

 

“Bullshit,” countered Luke starkly. “You were overdosed, Angus. Anything could have happened!”

 

Mac cringed at the loud sound visibly.

 

“Shit, sorry.” Lucas immediately realized his mistake. No more shouting for now.

 

“Nah, it’s okay. Just, my head still hurts,” explained Mac, after dealing with the new wave of pain. “And it’s better it was me than Riley. She’s smaller, weighs less—if this dosage was too high for me, what could it have done to her?”

 

“The fact that it could have been worse doesn’t make this situation okay, Angus,” replied Luke, shaking his head.

 

“No, but it makes it…okayer…,” summed up Mac, grinning slightly towards Luke.

 

Luke let out an exasperated huff, but then smiled fondly. He reached out and combed Mac’s blond hair softly.

 

“Yeah, I can hear your head is still not right,” observed Luke cheekily.

 

“Shut up,” muttered Mac under his breath.

 

“Thank God you’re cute when you’re so grumpy.” Luke leaned forwards and placed a gentle kiss on Mac’s forehead.

 

“Not today, honey, I have a headache,” commented Mac playfully.

 

“Oh, haven’t you heard, endorphins help alleviate the pain?” Luke wiggled his eyebrows at Mac, making him chuckle. But then Mac hissed in pain again, so the light mood once again flew out of the window.

 

“Okay, but completely seriously now, can I try something?” Asked Luke again, glancing at Mac in question.

 

Jack picked this moment to clear his throat loudly.

 

“You guys realize I’m still here, right?” He reminded them dryly.

 

Luke rolled his eyes and sighed. “Yes, Jack, and I promise, it won’t scar you for life,” he said, sounding close to honest.

 

Jack huffed. “Well, forgive me for making sure.”

 

“You’re forgiven,” conceded Luke with a magnanimous tone of voice.

 

Mac smiled again, listening to this exchange.

 

Jack would be pissed at Luke for annoying him like that, but seeing that smile on Mac’s face made him realize that maybe distracting Mac from the pain was the whole point of this not-sure-if-entirely-friendly banter.  

 

 

 

“Okay then, Angus, move a bit,” commanded Luke and maneuvered himself to sit on the couch with Mac, with Mac’s head now lying on his lap. “I’m not saying this will definitely work, but it won’t hurt to try… or at least I hope it won’t hurt that much,” he added playfully.

 

Mac shifted for a moment to make himself the most comfortable, and when he was done, he glanced at Luke. “Fine, work your magic then.”

 

Luke tangled his fingers into Mac’s hair again, yet more purposefully this time. It was different from before, he didn’t pet Mac’s head gently. Instead, he began massaging it not so lightly. He started from the base of Mac’s skull, kneading Mac’s neck with fingers of one hand, holding Mac’s head a couple inches above his lap with another.

 

Mac hissed and gritted his teeth, because Luke’s fingers were digging firmly into his muscles, but he also closed his eyes and let him do the thing. The real massages weren’t supposed to be pleasant – they were supposed to work.

 

Jack apparently knew that as well, because he hadn’t immediately gone ballistic at the sound of Mac’s discomfort.

 

In the meantime, Luke slowly put Mac’s head back on his lap and moved his hands up Mac’s head, squeezing it harder in all the right places. Then he focused for a longer while on the temples, massaging them, running his fingers in firm circles.

 

While the process itself wasn’t exactly pleasant, after a couple minutes Mac felt the headache dull slightly. Maybe it hadn’t receded completely, but the change was visible; and apparently it was enough for Mac’s tired body to slowly began shutting down.

 

Luke massaged Mac’s head for about fifteen minutes when he noticed Mac’s breath evening, indicating that Mac’s fallen asleep. Luke ran his fingers across Mac’s hair a couple more times, but then just lay his hand on Mac’s head and left it there.

 

“I think you’re stuck for now,” observed Jack in quiet voice, not wanting to wake Mac.

 

“Yeah, but that’s fine. He looked like he needed rest,” replied Luke lightly, making himself comfortable on the couch with Mac sleeping on his lap like a baby.

 

“He did, just couldn’t fall asleep for the last couple hours.” Jack sighed, finally feeling his worry fade away now that he saw Mac sleep so soundly.

 

“I wish I could be here sooner,” sighed Luke.

 

“Don’t beat yourself about it, kid,” advised him Jack. “You came as soon as you knew, and that’s what matters.”

 

“…thanks?”, replied Luke with hesitation, because it was the first time he had this sort of heart-to-heart conversation with Jack. And definitely the first time Jack came to close to openly accepting him.

 

“Don’t mention it,” dismissed Jack. Then he grabbed the remote control and waved it in question. “You wanna watch ‘Die Hard’, since you can’t move away from here anyway?”

 

Luke had no love for ‘Die Hard’, but no hate either; also, Mac already lectured him on the importance of that movie for Jack, so he simply nodded.

 

“Yeah, sure.”

 

 

 

Jack started the movie and made himself comfortable in the armchair near the couch. He needed the movie only as an excuse to get lost in thoughts. Because seeing Mac interacting with Lucas just a moment ago made him reconsider some things.

 

 

Jack wasn’t at all surprised that Lucas wanted to take care of Mac—seeing Mac hurt made such instincts rise in many people. But so far, Jack had been one of the very few that were actually allowed to nurse Mac in those rare moments when he needed that.

 

Because when it came to Mac, it was just a fact of life that he did not like being vulnerable — in front of anybody, and even just in front of himself. And Mac being Mac, he hardly ever was, because of his brilliance, fighting skills and overall competence. But in his chosen career path, once in a while the exceptions were bound to happen and in those situations usually Mac would isolate himself, demanding to be left alone to lick his wounds in solitude.

 

The biggest progress made so far was that now Jack’s presence was also allowed. Mac hated being vulnerable, but slowly accepted Jack into previously non-existent circle of people who could witness Mac will all his walls down.

 

Nikki was slowly getting access to that circle as well; thankfully, she never got to witness too much before she opted out. The fact that she had never consciously realized what privilege she had been granted left Jack with a bitter taste on his tongue.

 

And now Jack looked to the side to take in the sight of Mac sleeping peacefully on Luke’s lap.

 

Jack wasn’t surprised Luke wanted to take care of Mac – he was surprised that Mac _let_ Luke do it. And he even seemed happy to do so; to just cuddle Luke’s lap, to feel Luke’s hands roaming though his hair. Mac simply let himself relax in Luke’s presence _when he was vulnerable._

 

And that made Jack stop dead in his tracks.

 

 

 

“Luke, if you hurt him, I will end you,” said Jack quietly, but steadily; making sure Luke understood that he was not joking this time.

 

Luke’s hand stilled in Mac’s hair. He looked up at Jack.

 

“If I hurt him, I’ll deserve it,” he replied after a moment, quietly as well.

 

Jack hummed, silently accepting this answer.

 

But deep down, Luke was haunted by one bitter thought. He kind of wished there was somebody to give Mac the shovel talk for his sake as well.

 

 

 

 

 

**Somewhere in Los Angeles**

**The Phoenix Foundation**

**A few weeks later**

 

 

 

 

 

“Mac, can I have a word with you?”, requested Matty calmly.

 

Another mission was done, the briefing went smoothly and the team was just about to go home. Mac had no idea why Matty would want to talk to him in private, but he said his goodbyes to Bozer and Riley and he stayed behind in the briefing room. Jack was waiting outside, he would drive him home later, as per usual.

 

Mac closed the door and turned to Matty, question clearly painted on his face.

 

“What is it?”, he asked.

 

Surprisingly, Matty sighed, as if she wasn’t sure where to begin with.

 

“Listen, Mac, maybe I’m crossing a line here, but…”, she hesitated, which made Mac even more uneasy, because it was Matty and hesitation was a rare look on her. “Just hear me out,” she asked and pointed to the couch.

 

“Okay, I’m all ears,” replied Mac as he sat down, putting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together.

 

Surprisingly, Matty decided to sit next to him.

 

“Listen, I let myself ask around about you and Nikki,” started Matty, without beating around the bush.

 

Mac’s eyes widened and he flinched visibly. If Nikki’s name was dropped, it couldn’t be good.

 

“And well, you know, the Phoenix does not have any rules against fraternization, obviously. But the people I asked told me that, to put it mildly, you two weren’t exactly _subtle_ about your relationship…”

 

“Wait a second,” Mac stopped her harshly, not liking where it seemed to be going. “Is this about my too much PDA with Nikki back then? Because, for one, that was long before you even came here so I don’t really see how that’s any of your concern; also, I’m pretty sure that’s not the case now, so I’m not really sure what you’re driving at.”

 

At that moment, Mac didn’t really care if he used an inappropriate tone of voice, because that shit Matty just pulled? That was way too personal for his comfort.

 

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, blondie, I’m not here to scold you.” Matty shot back firmly.

 

“Then what is it all about?”, asked Mac again, yet a bit more calmly this time. He was still a loss, though.

 

“You are an affectionate person, Mac, I noticed it right away. You tend to hug people a lot, Jack, Riley, Bozer, even me once in a while.”

 

Mac was about to cut in, because hey, if she had a problem with that, she could have told him sooner; but Matty raised her finger to stop him from opening his mouth.

 

“Which is _fine_ ”, she continued pointedly. “More than fine, actually, people like that in you, myself included.” Matty offered a gentle smile. “And that’s more than understandable that such an affectionate person as yourself would be very affectionate when working with a partner.”

 

“Are you trying to lecture me on work appropriate behavior?” Guessed Mac finally, hint of annoyance creeping back into his voice. “Because I’m pretty sure me and Luke have never done anything that could even remotely make somebody uncomfortable while working with the two of us.”

 

Matty pointedly cleared her throat, silencing Mac with her stare.

 

“Yes, I am fully aware of that,” she replied. “Mac, what do you think, how many people in here know that you’re involved with Lucas?”

 

Mac raised his eyebrows, once again taken aback by the turn in this conversation.

 

“I… don’t know? I mean, you know, Jack, Riley, Bozer, they know, maybe Gill as well, since she’s around us quite often…?” Counted Mac slowly, unsure. “Why?”

 

“And how many people in Phoenix knew about you and Nikki?” Continued Matty, unrelenting.

 

Mac swallowed, his throat suddenly dry as sand.

 

“More, I guess.”

 

“Exactly everybody knew, Mac,” clarified Matty for him. “As I said, you two weren’t subtle…”

 

Mac tightened his hands in fists, his eyes dropped to the floor and he stared down blankly.

 

“Okay, it won’t happen with Lucas, I promise,” he mumbled, utterly embarrassed by this situation.

 

Matty sighed, completely resigned, and rolled her eyes.

 

“It’s not the point I’m trying to make here, genius!” She raised her voice, making Mac finch once again. “Look at me, Mac,” she asked, more gently this time.

 

Mac raised his eyes tentatively, feeling exposed now that his personal life was being so closely inspected.

 

Matty put her hand on Mac’s knee, her eyes reassuring. “What I’m trying to tell you, Mac, is that… it’s okay. It was okay with Nikki, really. It never bothered anyone in here, because they all – we all – know that you’ve got your priorities straight. You would never risk being distracted at an inappropriate time, endangering a mission, you’re too good for that. And if you let yourself be distracted in those few moments when the time actually allows you to, then well, it just makes you human, Mac. Nobody expects you to be anything but.”

 

“So what, you’re trying to tell me off for… too little PDA?” Ventured Mac.  

 

“I’m trying to tell you that I’ve noticed the difference between how you were with Nikki and how you’re with Luke. And if you’re doing it consciously, then fine, I will never mention it again. Your personal relationships are yours alone. But it has occurred to me that maybe… maybe you’re hesitant to make your relationship with Luke public not because of how you feel about him, but because of how people here might feel about the two of you. And the whole point of this conversation, however awkwardly I got to it, was to assure you that… you’re among your friends here, among your family, Mac. You don’t have to hide.”

 

 

 

Some part of Mac was pissed that Matty gave herself the right to meddle in his own personal affairs. But the other, much bigger part was flooded with warmth, even though it was all so sudden and unexpected.

 

“I… I don’t know what to say, Matty,” he revealed after a moment, his mind empty of words to use.

 

“You don’t have to say anything, Mac. Just think about it. And remember, whatever you decide, I am on your side. And if anybody in Phoenix has a problem with you or Luke, they can take it up with me. Got it, blondie?”

 

Mac felt the residual embarrassment fly away from his body, slowly being replaced by sheer gratitude. Quite often Mac wasn’t sure where he stood with Matty, sometimes she was just his boss, sometimes she was almost his friend, but their relationship usually fluctuated somewhere in between. But right that moment she was his boss _and_ his friend and she seemed determined to use the resources that the first position gave her to fulfil the obligations of the other.

 

Mac leaned forward and hugged her.

 

“Thank you, Matty.”

 

“No problem, blondie.” She returned the hug, smiling warmly. “Now go, and tell Jack I know he was trying to eavesdrop all this time.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Not the Phoenix Foundation, but still somewhere in Los Angeles**

**A ridiculously luxurious facility**

**Rented for the Phoenix Foundation Christmas Party**

**Some time later**

 

 

 

Mac straightened an invisible crease on his tux as he glanced lazily across the room. Luke was running late, and Mac was getting bored by all the small talk he had to participate in.

 

“Is it…?” The words died in Mac’s throat as he saw a blond woman among the guests standing next to the buffet. “What is she doing here?” He asked Jack, turning towards him, but Matty was the one to answer.

 

“Nikki Carpenter, yes.” Her voice was crisp. “She has finished her latest assignment recently, and since our cooperation with the CIA went so smoothly last time, some people from there were invited as well. You know, making new friends, greater opportunities for the future, stuff like that. Personally, I was hoping she wouldn’t come, but well…”  

 

Somehow, Matty sounded as if Nikki’s presence was a personal offence to her. Jack had no idea why she would feel that way, but on the other hand – he shared those feelings completely.

 

Jack instinctively glanced at Mac to gauge his reaction to the news. What he saw made his heart clench.

 

Mac’s face was blank, but his eyes remained focused on Nikki, on her black evening dress that was perfectly fitted to her lean body. She turned around, a canape still in her hand, looking up right at Mac as if she had felt his eyes on her.

 

When Mac took a step towards her, he felt Jack’s hand curling around his arm, stopping him decisively.

 

“Mac, what are you doing, buddy?” Hissed Jack, confused.

 

Mac glanced at Jack’s hand holding him, then at Jack himself. His eyes were hard to decipher, his expression absent.

 

“Let me go, Jack,” Mac asked calmly, but firmly.

 

Jack conceded, letting go of Mac’s arm, and hated himself for it. He knew somebody would end up regretting something after this evening.

 

 

 

Not even three minutes later, Lucas appeared right next to Jack.

 

“Hi, sorry I’m late.” He waved his hand in front of Jack’s nose, scaring the shit out of the other agent.

 

Jack jumped, turning towards the newcomer, his heart in his throat. “Jesus, kid! Don’t come to me like that!”

 

“Where would be the fun in that?” Lucas looked around pointedly, then helped himself to what he decided was Jack’s drink. “Where’s Angus? I thought he would be here by now.”

 

“He is,” Jack replied vaguely. His discomfort must have been visible, because Luke glanced at him in askance. He made a move to give Jack his drink back, but Jack shook his head.

 

“Keep it.” _You might need it¸_ he thought to himself grimly.

 

“Jack, where’s Angus?” Asked Luke once again, unease clear on his face.

 

Jack simply pointed his head in the direction of where Mac and Nikki stood, engrossed in a conversation, the whole world seemingly lost to them. Since Mac approached his ex, he never once looked around for Luke.

 

Luke had not yet had an opportunity to notice that fact, but Jack had. And he was lost in his own feelings, ranging from being worried about Mac’s decisions, through being annoyed with him, to being simply surprised, because he did not see that one coming. And he had thought he knew Mac better than anyone.

 

“Is this, this ex-girlfriend of his?” Luke’s voice sounded off.

 

“Mhmm,” murmured Jack in response.

 

“The one that got him shot?”

 

“Mhmm.”

 

“What is she doing here?”

 

“Politics.”

 

“Wonder-fucking-ful.” Luke took a large sip and swallowed it down in one gulp. His grip on the glass was tight.

 

“Mhmm.”

 

“What the fuck I am supposed to do now?”, asked Luke, trying not to sound bitter. And failing.

 

Jack silently unscrewed the bottle of whisky standing next to him and poured it into Lucas’s glass. Luke sighed. And drank.

 

 

 

Luke had no idea how much time passed, but surely not more than fifteen minutes.

 

“Lucas, hey.” Mac’s voice distracted Luke from staring into the golden liquid. Mac approached him, smiling, Nikki nowhere in sight.

 

“Angus,” greeted him Luke, a bit more stifled than he would have liked.

 

“You’re looking great.”

 

“Thank you,” replied Lukas, not knowing what to think about the compliment in this particular situation.

 

“Is there something wrong?” Mac sat near Lucas on a chair, holding out a hand to put it on his partner’s. Lucas flinched, but didn’t take his hand away.

 

“I’m not sure I wanna talk about it,” admitted Luke after a moment.

 

“Where’s Jack? I thought I saw him with you a minute ago.”

 

“He left for the toilet, but then again, I think Crystal is in here too, and I might have mentioned she’s a huge ‘Die Hard’ fan so…” Lucas trailed off, leaving the myriad of possibilities to Mac’s imagination.

 

Mac’s grip around Luke’s hand tightened slightly, his thumb moving across Luke’s skin slowly.

 

“It might have been a great idea, if it goes well. Or a terrible one, if it goes… too well.” Mac smirked under his breath, making Luke smile a bit too.

 

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” huffed Luke, shaking his head.

 

“You look distressed,” observed Mac. “I was hoping…” Mac looked pensive.

 

 Lucas raised his head, eyeing Mac curiously. “For?”

 

Mac’s face changed, decision painted itself on his features. He let go of Luke’s hand, and moved his own a few inches back, holding it in front of Luke instead, invitingly.

 

“For a dance.”

 

Lucas met Mac’s eyes questioningly, feeling lost.

 

“For a dance? I thought…” Lucas cut his own train of thought. He glanced around them, bewildered. “I didn’t think you would like to be so—open, about us, so to speak,” admitted Lucas, diplomatically overlooking his newest concerns about Nikki.

 

Mac furrowed his forehead, suddenly distraught.

 

“Yeah, that’s the crux of the matter, isn’t it?” He mumbled, in all likelihood to himself, since Luke barely heard him.

 

“Of what matter?”, asked Luke.

 

Mac ignored him in favor of pointedly looking at his own hand, still held out towards Lucas.

 

“Will you dance with me?” Mac repeated slowly, seriously, his eyes not holding a pinch of doubt.

 

Lucas took his hand and raised from the chair.

 

“I sincerely hope you know how to lead, Angus; otherwise we’ll make quite a ridiculous sight.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’m good at improvising,” assured him Mac, sending him a heart-melting smile that immediately extinguished every one of Luke’s worries.

 

 

 

 

A few eyebrows were raised when Mac led Lucas to the dance floor, but not nearly enough to cause Mac any discomfort. He was concerned about Luke at first, though, but as soon as he put his hand on the small of Luke’s back, the man visibly relaxed under his touch.  

 

“Do you wish to talk now?” Mac’s voice was as gentle as their moves. The song was slow, soothing, granting them and some other couples a perfect excuse for intimacy.

 

Lucas glanced away, distress on his face obvious to anybody who took a second to look and observe.

 

“I believe… I have misread a situation; I think now that my concern might have been unjustified, or at least… I hope it was.”

 

“Maybe it wasn’t,” replied Mac, which caused Luke to raise his eyes to him in alarm. “Let me finish,” asked Mac, seeing that Luke was about to say something.

 

Luke pointedly closed his mouth, waiting expectantly.

 

Mac unconsciously tightened his hand around Luke’s back, then forced it to open back as he’d noticed he had done so. He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts.

 

“It was recently brought to my attention that… I might have given you a false impression regarding our relationship.” Luke’s heart clenched and he gritted his teeth, but remained silent, determined to bear this conversation to the end. “And I apologize for it. I mean, I haven’t done it on purpose, but now when I look back and analyze my behavior, I see it clearly that I’ve done it, on purpose or not, it doesn’t matter. And now that I’ve talked to Nikki, it has become even clearer to me that…”

 

“Jesus, Angus,” interrupted Lucas impatiently. “I never took you for a type to beat around the bush like that. If you wanna break up with me, just fuckin’ do it, but don’t make me listen to all the logic behind it,” he spat.

 

They stopped dancing, but their hold remained strong. Maybe even stronger, since now Mac’s shoulder almost hurt under Lucas’s grip.

 

Mac paled. “What are you talking about, Lucas? The whole point of my speech was to fix things between us, not break them.”

 

“Listen, Angus, I like you,” began Luke, his voice grim, angry, but still quiet, which made it even worse. “I might even—“ Luke cut himself off, flinching. “But despite that, and because my self-esteem is still somehow present, I cannot understand what made you think that I will agree to—I don’t know, be the second choice? To watch you and this Nikki—?”

 

Luke would continue, but Mac suddenly grabbed his neck and pulled towards himself, breaking the whole speech with a fierce kiss. Every word in Luke’s head evaporated in an instant, as he lost himself in Mac’s mouth, and as he yielded to Mac’s tongue, which didn’t even initiate the fight for control, it simply took it.

 

“There is no me and Nikki,” said Mac slowly and clearly, now that he had Lucas’s full attention. “And there will be no me and Nikki. The only thing I’m interested right now is me and you, and I cannot imagine where you took that idea from…” Mac paused, then closed his eyes and shook his head, troubled. “Well, alright, now that I think about it, I can sort of understand where, but still,” he amended. “The point is, there is _and will be_ nothing there.”

 

“Then what were you apologizing for?” Lucas frowned.

 

Mac huffed. “For being an idiot, alright? I noticed that I wasn’t as open about my relationship with you as I usually was, I mean, with my previous relationships. And as I said, I never chose to do that on purpose, but now I can see it clearly that most of the time when I wanted to, I don’t know, touch you in public, I hesitated, I talked myself out of doing so. I don’t know what I told myself exactly, maybe that it wasn’t work appropriate, maybe that it may cause you some discomfort, and, you know, it’s not like I am ashamed of you, of us. I am, most definitely, not. And I told myself that, well, everybody important already knows about us, so it’s not like I’m hiding a dirty secret or anything. But then I talked to Matty and…”

 

“Mac, it’s alright, you really don’t have to…”

 

“Lucas, I’m on a flow now, just let me get it off my chest.”

 

“Alright, I’m gonna shut up now.”

 

“Yes, that will be for the best.” Mac cleared his throat. “So, I talked to Matty and she opened my eyes to some things, and I’ve also talked to Nikki just now, and it made those things even more visible.

You see, I just went to exchange pleasantries with her, congratulate her on her last big success, ask about how she’s doing and be gone. But we started talking, it went smoothly from one word to the other, and then I realized she was flirting with me. I mean, it wasn’t that surprising in itself, but she seemed genuinely convinced that this all may somehow go beyond flirting, that we may have another one night stand, which is an idea I might have been partial to, if it wasn’t for the fact that I am, currently, very much not single. And I am not planning on being single any time soon, I should add.

So I got angry with her, at first, because despite all we’ve been through, she should know me better than this. And then it hit me that— she wasn’t suggesting I cheat on you, she simply didn’t know about you. And it’s not even about her not knowing, I mean, she’s working someplace else, we’re not keeping in touch, she had every right not to know. But it made me realize I never really had to tell people around about my relationships, they usually knew, because I was always very obvious with that. What I’m trying to say is that… I realized there’s a huge difference between not hiding and… being open. And I’m sorry my behavior fell into that gap, I wish I had noticed it sooner.”

 

“Wait, help me understand, are you trying to apologize for… not molesting me in public?” Lucas said it with a straight face, but cheeky smile was just waiting to appear in the corner of his lips.

 

“No, if you phrase it that way, you make it sound ridiculous,” complained Mac, rolling his eyes, but fondly.

 

“Not singing flag gay songs at every corner?” Luke now smiled openly.

 

“Luke…”

 

“Not having a rainbow flag painted on your forehead?” Continued Luke, completely undeterred.

 

“No, but…”

 

“Taking some time to get used to a new situation in your life, without bringing all the attention to it?”

 

“You still make it sound ridiculous.”

 

“I know, I’m doing that on purpose, Angus. I appreciate all the thought you’ve put into it, I really do, but Angus, I was pissed at you because for a moment it looked like you’ve just reconnected with your ex-girlfriend. And since that’s apparently not true, then I can assure you, I have no further concerns about our relationship right now, or your behavior towards me, or whatever this wonderful, big brain of yours just conjured.”

 

“But Luke, it’s…”

 

Lucas huffed and ostensibly silenced Mac with a kiss.

 

“Now, listen to me, Angus. Ever since you’ve told me that I am, in fact, your first man, I knew there would be problems in this area. I expected a crisis or two, you know, ‘ _do I really like him or maybe it’s just a phase_ ’, ‘ _am I really bisexual, since I don’t feel any different from when I thought I was straight_ ’, stuff like that. I thought you might be hesitant to mention me to your friends in this context, I thought you might want to keep it just between us at first. And Angus, would these things be nice? Not really. But understandable.

So color me surprised when I noticed none of them really happened. And hey, would I be alright with keeping our relationship secret for a while? Sure, for a short while, why not. But you never suggested that, not once. And your friends knew right from the start. I was never a secret for you, Angus. And now you’re apologizing for not being even more open about it?

Honey, I can honestly assure you, I wasn’t planning on being annoyed about it for at least three more years. And don’t you dare scare me with such conversations like that again.”

 

Mac huffed in laughter and glanced at Luke playfully.

 

“At least three more years? You keep a schedule? Or, like, a bullet-point list with dates and stuff? ‘Cause you might want to share that with me. I don’t want to miss anything. ‘March 2019, the deadline for Angus to buy me flowers’, ‘2025, the deadline for Angus to…”

 

“The next 60 seconds, the deadline for Angus to shut up, kiss me, and dance with me. In that order.” Lucas interrupted him smoothly.

 

“No, but seriously, do you have a table in Excel? Or more like an entry in your diary? Or maybe…”

 

Mac was having way too much fun for Luke’s liking, so he took the initiative and shut him up himself. With a kiss, obviously.

 

“Dance with me, or I’ll have to ask Jack,” threatened Luke with a sharp smile.

 

Mac chuckled and gave Luke a peck on his cheek as he pulled the man into his arms again.

 

“I wanna see you try.”

Mac put his hand on the small of Luke’s back and started leading him, gently, but just with enough force that Luke felt the right direction.

 

“You doubt me? I’m wounded. He would totally dance with me!”

 

“If you pay him, then sure,” jabbed Mac.

 

“Nah, no money needed. I’ll just have to pour some more whiskey into him, then he’ll do anything. Especially if I get Riley on my side…”

 

“Pics or didn’t happen.”

 

“A bet? By the end of this night, I’ll have them! But honey, what do I get if I win? And what do you get if you do? ”

 

Mac leaned closer to him with a wicked smile and whispered a couple words right into Luke’s ear. Luke’s breath hitched, his pupils dilated slightly on the sheer thought, and then he took a deep breath to cool himself down.

 

“That sounds like a win-win to me, Angus. You’re on!”

 

 

 

 

 

As soon as his hangover passed, Jack insisted that they have the pictures deleted, which they diligently did.

 

Well, sort of diligently. But not really.

 

Luke might have left some copies on his phone, and unbeknownst to him, Mac might have done exactly the same. You know, for Random Future Leverage Purposes.

 

You never know what may come in handy.

 

 

 

 

**[Mac’s voice in the background speaking]**

 

 

 

_When I  first met Lucas Burkhardt, I thought it would be a story about a could-be-would-be-something which never really happened, the story that leaves a person with a sense of unfinished business, and with a longing to explore all he possibilities that just weren’t meant to be._

 

_And then he came back and I thought it would be a story about a one-night stand that forever changed the way I look at myself and my love life. Full of pleasure, full of warm memories, but a one-night stand nonetheless._

 

_And then he stayed and I lost all the sense of what I thought this would be. But that’s alright — a fixed label would mean the end, because as long as it lasts, it changes. It changes all the time, from a casual fling to a tentative relationship, and now we’re in the phase of a steady one. But I feel that another change is coming._

 

 

_You see, he asked, and I have just said yes to Rome._

 

_And I’m just gonna pretend I don’t know he consulted Jack on that one._

 

 

 

 

** The End **

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments make me feel really appreciated!


End file.
